


We'll Be Our Home

by KnifeBinaryPrince



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Full Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Orphans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 16:45:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11108676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnifeBinaryPrince/pseuds/KnifeBinaryPrince
Summary: A world away and everything seems okay.It's not.





	We'll Be Our Home

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this to be a short 1k thing but I ended up with almost 3k and I know it's probably gonna end up a 10k+ multi chapter thing so I might as well.
> 
> Anyways Keith is a full blooded Galra in this fic so he's got ears and a tail plus he's a tall boi so jot that down.

The air was hot and stuffy, the smells of food and sweets of every kind filling the marketplace with mixed aromas. Noises of aliens of all shapes and sizes filled the air as they conversed with each other, vendors trying to attract buyers to buy their wares, small children running through the streets and alleyways laughing and yelling all the way. The noise and smells were only slightly overbearing, Keith had gotten used to it over the years and learned how to tone out the buzz of sounds to a low hum in the background.

He pulled his head wraps closer around his neck, his ears laid flat against his head under the soft cloth. He'd rather not have sunburned ears again, no matter how nice the bedside service was.

Keith stopped at one of his regular vendors, a pair of conjoined twins (or maybe that was just their species, Keith wouldn't know since he'd never seen anyone else even remotely close to resembling them), blind to the light and maps usually in a matching set of small grins. They were wrapped head to toe in colorful cloths, heads wrapped in layers that went multiple times around their necks.

"Ah Keith, welcome!"

"Our favorite customer come to visit!"

"How fortunate we are!" The twins said, phrases alternating from one to the other without missing a beat. As if they were one person instead of two.

He greeted them with a nod, looking through their wares with mild interest. Beads and charms of every shape, size, and color were laid out on bright pillowed sheets, allowed to glitter and shine in the noon sun's light.

A frown settled on the galra's face as he looked through them, unable to find the color he was looking for. "Would you happen to have anything in blue?" He asked softly, looking up at the twins for an answer. They clapped their hands together joyfully, grins wider if that was possible.

"Of course!"

"We have a wide selection of blue!"

"Saved just for your darling!"

"We know how particular he is with colors!"

"Can you believe that he says he only looks good in blue?"

"Absolutely preposterous!"

"He looks good in any and every color!"

Keith let a small chuckle slip past his lips as they babbled on, following them inside their shop as they went to retrieve the selection of blue ornate beads.

He waited patiently by the entrance, keeping an eye out for the unattended valuables on display.

Within a few ticks the twins were back with a small pouch, the sound of stone and ceramic beads moving against each other.

Their body seemed to slither over the ground, but due to them always being wrapped in elegant cloths of intricate designs he didn't know if they were crawling or just sliding across the ground. They placed the pouch of beads in keith's open hands, small smiles adorning their faces. The smiles dropped when they leaned in close enough to his ear.

"You seem to have a few interesting characters following you dearest."

"I would say be careful but it'd be directed to the wrong person."

"Yes that it would, don't give them too hard a time."

"Unless they try to harm you or your dearest."

"Then by all means give them hell."

Keith nodded, the twins patting his cheeks and letting him leave. He turned to ask about the beads, only to get a swift wave for him to go.

"Keep it."

"It's on us, besides your dearest does make the loveliest cloths for us."

"However if you would like to pay us back," -they went back into their shop, coming back with a small bundle in their arms.- "Pasha had another litter a few weeks ago and we know how your dearest is so we thought he could use the company."

"Besides, we only trust you two out of this place of ruffians to own one of Pasha's pups." They finished, placing the bundle which contained the small pup in his arms. Keith arranged his arms in just a way that he could hold both the pup and pouch comfortably and still have a hand free.

With a nod of goodbye Keith left to continue the small journey home, ears swiveled outwards to catch the sound of following footsteps even within the cacophony of sounds that went on around him.

He knew it wouldn't be easy to lose them with how tall he was, but he did have the upper hand. He knew these streets and alleyways better than anyone and the crowds were especially large today since the trading ships arrived. Plus he had a few tricks up his sleeves. Or rather on the rooftops.

A stall filled with the local fruits was all he needed as cover. With casual steps he stopped by it, pretending to browse through the vendor's wares. The kid behind the stall looked at him from below the level of wares displayed, eyeing him for a moment before speaking. "What do you need Boss?" They asked him.

Keith frowned at that, fixing a look towards the small street urchin, "There's no need to call me that, I've outgrown that nickname."

"That's not what Mother says, besides she considers you close family so any wish of yours is our command and all that quiznack." They explained, standing up to cross their arms over the product shelf, chin resting on pale blue arms as they looked at him with big green eyes.

"I don't think you used that right."

"She said you were a stickler for words too."

Keith chuckled at that, picking up one of the fruits to sniff at and making a face when it turned out to be spoiled. "So what do you need Boss?" They repeated.

"Apparently there's someone following me, I need a distraction, think you can help with that?" He questioned, gold eyes looking over the stall towards bright green ones that seemed to glow with mirth at the challenge.

The kid gave a wide grin, "Of course, already have everything set up further up the street here. Honestly we were wondering when you were gonna notice and give the word."

"I've been a bit preoccupied today, the twins helped me realize."

"You're becoming as dumb as the adults around here Boss."

Keith rolled his eyes, a small smirk playing on his lips, "Whatever you say Pipsqueak, tell Klipper and the others I said hi." He said, voice trailing as he turned on his heels and left to go home, laughing at the indignant squawk that escaped the child.

Within moments he was merged back in with the crowd, a few more ticks and he could hear the footsteps right behind him.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, kids about Pipsqueak's height and a little taller jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they followed him from where he was. He must've been close to their distraction point then.

He was right when a few ticks later there was the sound of an explosion and colored powder of every color imaginable rained down on the street behind him like a colored desert sandstorm. Screams of frightened children and yelling vendors with their customers shouting curses could be heard within the fray. This wasn't the first time the orphans had done this after all.

Nevertheless whoever was following him had stopped, not used to the weekly occurrence; they were obviously newcomers then, unused to the orphan's antics.

With a smile and a small salute to Pipsqueak, who returned it with a grin, Keith ran out down the streets and towards the edge of the city limits where the tree line of the vast jungle met the city walls. He slowed to a walk when the familiar path home appeared, tail swaying slightly as he calmed down, a quick glance at the bundle of fur wrapped comfortably in cool cloths snoozing lightly, small bat-like nose wet with fluid and snuffling cutely.

Oh he would love this little guy...or girl, either way they'd be spoiled rotten.

***

From atop the city walls a figure clad in black stood tall and looming, her body enough of a skeleton and developed to withstand the heat that she hardly felt the effects of it even with the layers of blackened cloth. The only bit of color on her was the green scarf she wore around her neck, decorated with intricate designs in multicolored threads. She didn't normally wear colored things, but this piece of cloth meant a lot to her.

 

She had raised Keith like he was her own son, tending to him and pushing him to his limits when needed and when it was necessary. She didn't usually grow fond of her orphans, but she saw a lot of herself in him and wanted that potential to blossom into something more. And blossom he did.

Through the years she watched him grow and develop, and even though he wasn't much for socializing or being particularly warm towards others he still made an effort to show her he appreciated her. Usually little trinkets and bits of crystal from the nearby mines sufficed and she found herself keeping a small jar of them to take out and look at when she felt the need to revisit a memory from each specific piece.

It wasn't until the little gifts became farther and farther in between that she noticed he was drifting from her. At first she felt angry and bitter. And though she felt it was beneath her she felt jealous at the fact that something or someone was taking her son from her. She approached the topic calmly to Keith one night, right before he was about to sneak out to see or do whatever it was he did on nights like that.

His demeanor seemed to change, instead of seeing the emotionally stunted boy she was used to that didn't say much she saw a red-faced, dare she say flustered kid that seemed to stutter and trip over his words more than usual. Almost as if....oh.

She nearly laughed when she realized, using a hand to cover her mouth to keep the chuckles from spilling. Her little boy had a crush...how cute.

Before he could come up with an excuse she bent down to his level and pressed a small kiss to his forehead, rubbing soothingly at his ears.

"I expect to meet whoever stole the attentions of my son you hear me? They must be someone quite amazing if they caught your eye." She more or less demanded, her curiosity piqued.

A wide smile crossed the galra's face, catching her off guard for a moment. She didn't let that show however, she had a reputation to maintain after all.

"I'll make sure you meet him! Can I go now or?" His smile slipped from his face as he realized the situation he was in. He want really allowed to be out after dark, those were one of the rules she imposed on all the orphan's who were under her care.

Although she could let that slide this one time.

"You can meet them tonight but-" He seemed to hold his breath- "You have to take Pasha along with you, you know how it gets after dark." She concluded, a sharp whistle calling forth the Baghhen, who rose sleepily on large, wide paws. Each claw about six inches long poking through, bat-like nose snuffling as the massive creature awoke, sidling up next to Keith, long thick tail swaying on the ground.

Mother picked Keith up before settling him on the Baghhen's broad furred back, his small hands clutching at her mane on the back of her neck, the large portion of her man braided with colorful ornate beads on multiple braids scattered through the white mane.

"Make sure to be back before the sun's up, and don't venture out into the desert, your little friend isn't out in the desert are they?" She asked worriedly, her motherly paternal instinct already kicking in as she was drawing plans to make room for one more.

"No they're just in the jungle, not far from here at all." Keith answered.

She breathed a sigh of relief, letting her hands join together at her lap as she looked at him. "Be careful Keith, and remember what I said, I'd like to meet this friend of yours, soon if it's possible." She seemed to whisper, Keith nodding before gently prodding Pasha into a run towards the jungle.

She had stood there and watched him go, content that Pasha would keep him safe. The twins were the best beast trainers on the planet (Which wasn't by much considering the only living city on the planet was around the only oasis and source of water) and Pasha was one of the best they had ever trained.

Apparently soon meant the very next afternoon. She had been worried when Keith hadn't come back that morning, even going as far as to contact the twins about sending more of their beast's out to look for him (Something they were ready and willing to do. Keith wasn't just Mother's favorite.) One of the orphan's however had yelled about spotting him on Pasha, the beast's tongue lolling out with a fancy trot in her step as she brought not only Keith but another friend, someone much smaller than him. Though with Keith being Galra most children were smaller than him.

This one she hadn't seen before, not around these parts anyways. Dark skin with even darker brown hair and bright blue eyes, pointed ears that twitched and flickered at every sound. She tilted her head when he revealed his face from Keith's back, her eyes widening at the bright blue markings on both of his cheeks. Now what on Tanjens could he be? She found she didn't much care when the small child climbed off Pasha's back and ran straight up to her, producing from a bag he'd been wearing something wrapped in a jungle leaf.

"I didn't really know what you looked like and Keith doesn't really say much but I made this anyway because my mom always said when you go to meet somebody important always have a gift ready and this was really rushed I worked on it all night-" He didn't seem to know how to take a breath, babbling out his words like one of the fountains scattered across the city. She was quite curious on how these two came to be friends, and even more curious to how he caught the eye of Keith, he seemed like a polar opposite to the quiet moody kit she was used to.

She carefully unwrapped the leaf, a green scarf spilling from the confines in colorful threads of ever color, the designs on the cloth so detailed and intricate she found it hard to breathe for fear it would somehow ruin the beauty.

"Sorry it's not much, I would've worked on it longer but Keith was rushing me and-"

"It's perfect."

"What?" The small child asked, looking up at her with bright blue eyes, a dark almost violet pupil could be seen amidst the swirls of soft blues.

"It's beautiful and absolutely perfect, thank you so much for this gift. You said you made it yourself? And all in one night?" She questioned, her dark eyes looking down at the small child at her feet.

He nodded shyly, looking down at the ground bashfully.

"You must be tired dearest, when I said I wanted to meet you soon I didn't mean the very next day. Keith why didn't you.let him rest?" She admonished, the small child squealing as she picked him up effortlessly, carrying him inside so he could take a well deserved nap.

"I tried but he said he wanted to finish your gift."

"You poor dear, let's get you a nice spot to nap on, you deserve it after all your hard work." She cooed, finding a nice spot of fluffy blankets and pillows in a corner of a room for him to lay on. As if on autopilot Keith went in to lay beside him, the two wrapping each other in their arms like they had practiced before.

"Before I go can you tell me your name darling?"

"Lance." He answered sleepily, snuggling into the other's arms.

"Sleep well a Lance, I'll wake you two up when lunch is ready." She said softly,leaving the room and shooing off the other kids trying to get a peek at the newcomer. "You all let them sleep, they deserve it." She said, running long hands over the soft scarf before wrapping it around her neck with finality in her movements. They would have to pry it from her cold dead hands if they wanted that scarf.

 

Shaking herself from her memories she watched a figure followed Keith into the jungle a ways behind him, obviously tracking his movements. For what she didn't know, but if they wanted to hurt him they would have to die by her hands and her hands alone. There was no there option.

You didn't mess with Mother's children.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll probably draw the refs for the characters when I have the time.


End file.
